'Time to speak up' War protests denounced

Florida Times Union ^ | 03/30/03 | War protests denounced

[tutstar]

Following months of anti-war protests, a crowd at the Duval County Veterans Memorial Wall yesterday came to show their support for the war in Iraq and those fighting it.

One person's homemade sign captured the mood: "No more silence. Stand up and be counted."

[tutstar]

Great job guys, I know some Jacksonville Freepers were planning to attend.

[tutstar]

A rally in support of troops fighting the war in Iraq brings many to the Duval County Veterans Memorial Wall yesterday. JoAnn Blackwell came out to honor her son, Gregory, a Marine serving in the military operation.

-- John Pemberton/Staff

A veteran and his wife stop at the Veterans Memorial Wall in Jacksonville yesterday afternoon to acknowledge fallen soldiers before a rally in support of U.S. troops in Iraq.

-- John Pemberton/Staff

[fuzzy122]

Whooo-raaah!!!

MEGA-

Stay Strong
Fuzzy

[Zipporah]

"I'm tired of seeing all the war protests," she said. "I don't have much tolerance for that anymore ... I don't know what they're supporting if they're not supporting us -- Saddam?"

..Yup.. tell it like it is!!!! Exactly!

[nanomid]

I wish someone would point out all the Communist anti-war protestors

Many of these people are not just Un-American, they're Anti-American.
Those standing with the enemy through willful ignorance, stand with the enemy in deed.
Those protestors that say We Love America! also say Gore Won!
These people are ignorant of our
government and want a Socialist overthrow of our country.
Socialist Ant-War Protest border on Treason and spreading communism is sedition.

[EdReform]

Bump

[Greenpees]

Ok, I'll be the first to say it. I too got the jitters at the thought of resistance kicking up a storm in Iraq. The idea that "freinds" (Germany and France)have deserted us, and those claiming basic neutrality (Syria, Russia and Turkey) have only made things more difficult for us in various ways.

Then I woke up.

Whatever becomes of this war, it's important to remember what brought us here. We liberated Kuwait from the "Butcher of Bahgdad" and then hung around to contain him. That is almost the entire complaint about how we "abuse" the middle east aside from not accepting terrorism as a tool of diplomacy in Israel.

Yes, terrible us, at the request of almost every Muslim government in the Arab World, freed a country from a tyrant. Our blood, our 300 people (along with Britain mostly) reversed Saddam's will.

What the Arabs didn't realize though, is that we meant it. We were not going to walk away, just to be retrieved like puppies the next time Saddam got an itch.

Now, after years of breaking every agreement he'd signed, and years of our "so-called" allies trading with this monster behind our backs, (and in our faces) we (Bush) had a "revelation". The Arab world is chock full of idiots, dictators, and extremists. 9/11 was not an isolated incident, it's the wave of the future, brought to you by Arab dictators who deflect attention away from themselves by blaming the US for everything from lice, crabs, the price of tea in China...whatever.

And why do they get away with such things? Because we've supported them. During the Cold War, we jumped into the sack with the ugliest 2:am Women in the world, justifiably to oppose the Soviets. It's the reason the average Arab sees us as duplicitous. We speak of democracy and humanity, but support those same dictators that supress them.

That brings us to this war, and this point in history. Morning has come, and we now see the wrinkles of the woman who was ugly even the night before, and we can't stomach it. Saddam is but one source of our irritation. We supported him at one time, but no more. The morning sun has touched his face and it is ugly. If we can get him out of our bed and invite, encourage and nurture the beautiful democratic ideals we value instead, we will have won years of peace for ourselves and the world.

The days of our jumping into bed with dictators is slowly, but surely coming to an end. We will live up to our creed. If nothing else, this war will speak volumes to the Middle East about the cost of encouraging thier little terrorists through Masadras, They know we would probably not be in Iraq if it hadn't have been for that action. 9/11 was the revelation for us. Bahgdad, hopefully, will be theirs.

We will win. This is the most sorely needed war in History. Our men and women are just, and so is thier cause.

[goodnesswins]

LONG VERSION: You cannot WORRY ABOUT A BACKLASH ...... LEADERS don't give a rats a** about backlashes....they do what's right. Sometimes they make mistakes, and if that happens, they learn from them, and move on. We ARE the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA....the shining light of freedom in this world...the country sooo many people want to come to because here you can exercise your God given gifts. And, you don't have to fear a secret police who will kill you if you say the wrong thing, or support the wrong person.

SHORT VERSION: Buck up....lots of people died for freedom. And, you don't want your women relatives and friends all wearing burqua's do you?

[goodnesswins]

You must be very young.....criticism is part of life.

[goodnesswins]

"....adds more pressure for conformity." ONLY if you have no rules to guide your life....and you live at the whim of others "feelings" about you.

[goodnesswins]

"That would be like your house getting burned down by Bush-Haters because you support him. Sure, we dont agree....we love our president. But, they expressed their opinion. They shouldnt be hung for that."

Oh, puullleeaasseee....NO it is NOT like ONE getting THEIR house burned down...and NO it is NOT LIKE ONE is being "hung." Sheesh.....get a grip. YOU ARE young.....continue reading and listening and learning.....good luck. Bye.

[katnip]

They spoke their mind; excersised their right of 'free speech' and they get figurative 'burning crosses' on their lawns. (by that I mean public boycotts and burning of their albums)

It's interesting that you think that people who don't like what Dixie Chick said shouldn't be able to excersize their rights of free speech (boycotts etc).

There's no Constitutional Right to not getting your feelings hurt.

Dixie Chicks will have to learn to live with the consequences of what they say. Just like grown-ups.

[dirtboy]

They spoke their mind; excersised their right of 'free speech' and they get figurative 'burning crosses' on their lawns.

So you're comparing legal, constitutional boycotts to KLAN INTIMIDATION? That is truly reprehensible, and it shows just how poor YOUR understanding is of the 1st Amendment. The Dixie Chicks are free to spout whatever they want without fear of criminal prosecution. We, however, are also FREE to not buy their albums and encourage others to do the same. And that to you is akin to cross-burning? Sheez...

[goodnesswins]

NO....we just have DIFFERENT OPINIONS....and you think that is "WRONG." You'll grow up to understand someday.